House set to approve key Bills on elections
Photo|FILE
MPs in the newly refurbished Chambers during the official opening at Parliament Buildings August 7, 2012.
What you need to know:
- The House is expected to pass the Elections Regulations 2012, on Tuesday, to beat the deadline for them to be gazetted.
- The regulations, which together with the laws, are to guide the General Election were drafted by the electoral commission and tabled in Parliament by Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa.
- Among other things, it is expected that MPs could propose reduction of nomination fees for most of the elective seats, which, they say, are prohibitive to ordinary Kenyans.
- Parliamentary aspirants in this group will pay 150,000 nomination fees and Sh250,000 for Senate, county woman representative and governor seats and Sh500,000 for those seeking the presidency.
Parliament on Tuesday begins debate on critical rules that will guide the next elections.
The House is expected to pass the Elections Regulations 2012, on Tuesday, to beat the deadline for them to be gazetted.
The regulations, which together with the laws, are to guide the General Election were drafted by the electoral commission and tabled in Parliament by Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa.
But MPs have criticised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for the delay in presenting the draft to Parliament for approval.
According to the law, IEBC should have presented the rules to the House six months before elections.
The deadline for gazetting of the regulations should be Tuesday, the same day that MPs begin debate on the bulky rules.
Mr Wamalwa tabled the regulations on Thursday evening, in an apparent response to angry calls by MPs and members of the Committee on Delegated Legislation to have the regulations brought to Parliament.
The committee chaired by Nominated Kanu MP Amina Abdalla was consequently forced to sit on Friday to go through the regulations and write a report that would form the basis of the House debate.
On Monday, her Justice and Legal Affairs committee counterpart Njoroge Baiya complained that MPs will have to rush through scrutiny of the rules in order to beat the deadline. However, Mr Baiya said MPs would revise and amend the regulations.
Among other things, it is expected that MPs could propose reduction of nomination fees for most of the elective seats, which, they say, are prohibitive to ordinary Kenyans.
Although IEBC has set lower fees for women, youth and those with disabilities, some groups say the fees are too high.
Parliamentary aspirants in this group will pay 150,000 nomination fees and Sh250,000 for Senate, county woman representative and governor seats and Sh500,000 for those seeking the presidency.
